Baked Good Spotlight: The Maple Bun

August 19th, 2010

I usually hold my baked good reviews for end of year, but since this one is too good to hold and is in another state I figure I should spread the word to my loyal followers (all five of ya!) now.

For the past 9 days or so I was in the lovely Green Mountain State (Vermont to the rest of the world). I was there for the Postgraduate Writers’ Conference (PWC) and then for some extra time just to hang near Burlington (more on that in a later post).

Well, on Saturday PWC organizers scheduled in some time in the morning to go to the farmer’s market in downtown Montpelier. So, I went, treading down a big hill (and then back up the hill later), to see what their market was like.

We got there as the market attendees were setting up and it was Vermont natural products galore. If you like food, this farmer’s market was for you. I ended up replenishing my supply of maple sugar and syrup and passed by a booth for a nice bakery called Red Hen. I saw they had a lovely good called the maple bun and even though it had raisins in it I purchased it and then hoofed it up the hill in time for my workshop.

Well, an hour or so into workshop I dug into my paper bag, inhaled a lovely maple aroma, and then took a bite out of this bun. My workshop leader (and conference director) asked as I chewed if I got the Red Hen maple bun. I nodded, enamored. “Isn’t it the best thing in the world?” she asked. I agreed with another nod as I simultaneously took another bite.

Well folks, from there on out it was love. My husband came to pick me up and whisk me off to S. Burlington the next day and I told him about this lovely bun. On our way out of Montpelier we happened to pass Red Hen Baking Co. How crazy is that? And I said I wanted to go there the next day since we had time to kill and he likes to get his driving in.

Fast forward to the next day when I introduced my husband to the maple bun. We were lucky to get the last one of the day after 12pm. (Yes, those babies sell out fast!) And, I guess needless to say, he fell in love with it as much as I did. The maple goodness is slathered all over the bun and topped off with chopped walnuts. The raisins inside are sparse. The most I had in a bun was four and those were easy enough to pick off.

I called early the next morning to order a half dozen and we made our way back to Middlesex, VT to get ourselves some buns to take home. The idea was to share with others who’d appreciate it, but since supply is low (they make a set amount per day so you really should order ahead of time or just get there early) and I can just be plain greedy when it comes to baked goodies we hoarded the bunch for ourselves. On the drive back home I kept looking back at the box of buns, our precious cargo. We got home safe and sound, buns intact and I had one for breakfast this morning. They’re even better warm!

So, I urge you to take a detour on your travels to or through Vermont to visit the town of Middlesex and more importantly get in on some maple bun action.

Red Hen Baking Co. makes their goods on-site everyday! So get a nice sandwich with avocado mayonnaise, or a gallon of maple syrup, or apain du chocolat or any of their freshly baked artisan breads.

If looking at this bun doesn’t tempt you, I don’t know what will.

Deliciousness personified

Deliciousness personified

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Inspiration: Who was yours?

July 24th, 2010

Last month, my first year as a mentor with Girls Write Now ended. At the last reading for Girls Write Now I got to meet author Tayari Jones in person. And she’s as wonderful in person as she is talented on the page. In reading her blog I noticed one of her latest entries about MCing the Girls Write Now reading and how she wished she had a program like GWN available to her when she was growing up.

This is one of the things that I, and many others, have noted when referencing GWNs mission statement. While the organization was in its premature stages when I was in high school, I know I and many other teenage writers could only have benefited from having a mentor help to push, praise, critique, and educate when it came to writing.

Fortunately, I did have someone who was a constant source of inspiration and was sort of a mentor to me in high school as I wrote and considered writing to be part of my immediate future.

I went to John Bowne High School in Flushing, NY, and was part of their Center for Writing program.  Being a freshman in a school where you know no one is intimidating enough. You want to make an impression, friends, and settle yourself into a niche. Weeks into my start at Bowne one teacher proved to be more interesting (and interested in what us students had to say) than the rest. This woman would become my mentor and motivator. Her name is Janet Feldberg. Ms. Feldberg was one of the more senior teachers there and the advisor for the freshman/sophomore writing magazine Pendemonium. She had a Mother Earth quality about her that made everyone like her. She treated her students like equals, not like kids. She was our educator, but she respected us and so everyone respected her.

Ms. Feldberg encouraged us when it came to reading the classics. As she watched our eyes glaze over in trying to recall the metaphors of Moby Dick or the characterizations in The Great Gatsby, she never showed frustration just encouragement. And in doing so with analysis of text she also encouraged us when it came to the creation of prose.

As a teen I was really into R.L. Stine’s Fear Street series and also tagged onto my mother’s fascination with Stephen King. Yes, I read The Babysitter’s Club and Sweet Valley High, but I saw myself writing things that went way deeper than that and by deeper I mean my stories were meant to make readers laugh and scare the crap out of them.

I submitted my first story, “Terror at Bowne,” to Ms. Feldberg with few expectations. Yet, within a day she pulled me aside and thought it was a vibrant story. It starred my best friend, a couple other friends, and myself as we realized our freshman year at Bowne was not what it seemed. There were monsters afoot! Perhaps one could consider it an allegory for the way teenagers feel when they start at a new school alone that they picture the worst happening and find camraderie with others when bad things come to play. But at the time, it was just fun to write. The villain of the story was a disliked history teacher who refused to allow her name on the page. So Ms. Feldberg offered to become the “terror” and published it in Pendemonium that year. I remember when she read it aloud in one of our computer writing classes and the response it got from my classmates. They were engaged even rooting for the ending. It was then I realized I probably had a calling when it came to this whole writing thing.

Over the years Ms. Feldberg continued to praise and help me with my work. When I attempted poetry, inspired by Dickinson and auspiciously mimicking her voice Ms. Feldberg understood what I was really talking about after weeding through the imagery and metaphors and earthly comparisons. She praised another poem I wrote based off a prompt and encouraged me to be an advocate for the CFW program at Open Houses. She was happy to read a sequel to “Terror at Bowne” and again offered her name as the villain who rose from the grave. She was my biggest supporter in those years and as I moved on to run the student government and worry about budgets and advertising and keeping a student body inline, my writing began to lose its importance in my life.

As I worried about SATs and scholarships and placement exams I couldn’t focus on writing a sequel to the sequel of “Terror at Bowne.” But I had come to Bowne to be a writer hadn’t I? What was keeping me from that? Not having Ms. Feldberg as my instructor in the last two years of school (she mainly taught the freshmen and sophomores) definitely had an impact on my creative side. I was focused on the tasks at hand: dances, decorations, meetings, representation, speeches, scholarships, senior prom, a part-time job. And as the last two years of school hit me with the responsibilities of post-adolescence I realized I missed my mentor. I missed the encouragement she gave me my first few years there to become confident enough to run for student council president, to write essays on Stephen King and consider his work as interesting as the tomes being thrust down our throats, to read deeper into books and consider what made them part of a literary canon and why there were so important for us to read in the first place. Nope, as juniors and seniors we lost our guiding hand in the resourceful, kind, and patient Ms. Feldberg and were greeted with people a bit gruffer, sterner who expected us to be prepared. We weren’t kiddies anymore, the kiddies had Ms. Feldberg and in a way I envied them for that.

As I prepared to leave Bowne and pursue a degree in writing I remembered everything she did for me. I remembered all the inspiration she gave me and mostly I appreciated it. I remember her writing enthusiastic letters of recommendation for my college applications and running to her to let her know I’d succeeded in getting into my first two choices.

A couple of years after I graduated Ms. Feldberg retired and became a grandma full-time. I saw her a couple times and wrote to her, but this was before e-mail became an institution in most homes and we lost touch.

As the year for mentoring ended I couldn’t help but be reminded of Ms. Feldberg and realize how much she not only influenced and inspired the writer I’ve become, but also the person. I notice the way I’ve gone about teaching and being a mentor for young girls is almost synonymous with how she approached us freshmen when we sat still and anxious in her class. I realize we both approach students/teens with encouragement and respect. That when we meet young people they need to know that they’re capable of anything and it all comes down to desire.

Yes, I’m getting nostalgic in my old age, but did want to take a moment to thank Ms. Feldberg (albeit it virtually) for all her guidance and inspiration then because I wouldn’t be the person I am now. I can’t help but wonder what life has in store for the mentees that leave Girls Write Now. But I hope, whether they realize it now or in retrospect, they appreciate the guidance their mentors have to offer because not everyone gets a Ms. Feldberg in their lives.

Posted in Education, Uncategorized, Writing | 2 Comments »

NYC French Macaron Crawl!

July 16th, 2010

My friend Anna organized the first ever French Macaron Crawl in NYC last month! Well, it may not be the first ever, but it was the first I was privy to so we’ll leave it at that.

There are two variations of the macaron/macaroon. You may be more familiar with the coconut macaroon confection that is mainly American in nature. But the macaron looks like a sandwich cookie! It is a light cookie/cakey texture (meringue based as Wikipedia informs me) and has some creamy (often buttercream) goodness in the middle. When I first saw it I said “That looks like a mini pastel-colored hamburger!” And thus that’s how I referred to them until I was corrected.

Anna was extremely organized about the whole thing. She made score sheets and also planned a logical route to the places we were headed. We started at Columbus Circle went to Herald Square then to Chelsea off to the Flat Iron District trek to the East Village and landed in Tribeca. (So freakin’ logical I loved it!)

We started off with a good amount of people, about 10 or so. And we were all ready to be amazed!

Bouchon Bakery (Columbus Circle Mall)

You can see the macaron remnants on the table!

You can see the macaron remnants on the table!

I came late so I missed the array of treats purchased at this bakery. It was the most French-like so we expected it to be the most tasty and authentic. In the end it was the most expensive ($3), even if the macarons were a bit bigger than usual and offered little in variation from the basic flavors of lemon, chocolate, strawberry, lavendar, etc. So the consensus that I heard about Bouchon was it was “okay.”

Macaron rating for this location: N/A

MacarOn Café (Herald Square)

MacarOn CafeNow, this is one of those tiny places that you can (and probably have) passed by and completely missed it. I’ve walked down that particular street going west several times and never even noticed it. The space is quite compact and intimate but very well lit with comfortable cushioned stools and a love seat in the back. Not the greatest space for almost a dozen crawlers, but great for a few friends just wanting to taste some macarons or have soup, salad, or sandwich.

Anna was kind enough to buy a dozen that we shared. We had four flavors: passion fruit, rose and lychee, coconut, and nutella. My favorites were the passion fruit and nutella. As far as I’m concerned nutella can do no wrong in anything. I detested the rose & lychee. It reminded me of that awful pink medicine I was made to take when I was sick as a child. And the doctor always said “It tastes like bubble gum, it’ll be fine.” Well, the doctor was a liar and it tasted nothing like bubble gum. It therefore became known in inner childhood circles as that nasty pink stuff. To date I can never take Pepto bismol because it reminds me too much of that yucky stuff.

Cut up pieces of macarons are available on the counter to sample and on the way out there was a peanut butter macaron that was delicious! The soft cookie part was a dark blue while the inside was peanut buttery goodness.

Macaron's galore! Can I get some more of the nutella please?

Macaron's galore! Can I get some more of the nutella please?

Macaron rating for this location: 6.5

Madeleine Patisserie (Chelsea)

Dozens of macarons and tarts to boot!

Dozens of macarons and tarts to boot!

We decided to walk off what we’d eaten thus far and head down Sixth Avenue towards our next location. It just so happened there was a street fair extending from 34th to 23rd Streets that day. Some of us briefly dropped off from the group to get dollar lemonades (or in my case a gyro) and some other goods. But we all made it to the latest location which is, yet again, a place I’ve passed many times and never noticed. I was shocked I never stopped and looked inside this lovely bakery. Not only did they have many French delicacies they had an astounding selection of macarons.

They even had a separate list with, I swear, at least a few dozen macaron flavors. Almost everyone was intrigued by the carmelized pear and purchased one. I also bought a mango one and caramel (I was highly disappointed they ran out of praline). Again, the fruit was one of my favorites! I liked carmelized pear but didn’t love it. Though, it did remind me of pie which is never a bad thing. The caramel was incredibly sweet so if you love caramel you’ll love this macaron. Some went for pink champagne or an expresso-like one and everyone seemed pretty psyched about the overall variety that was available here. Space was limited because the back area was pretty much taken over by earlier crowds and at one point it seemed the bathroom was out of commission but overall I’d definitely come back and see how the other confections stand up. And perhaps they’ll have the praline macaron next time also.

Caramel, Mango, and Carmelized Pear...yum!

Caramel, Mango, and Carmelized Pear...yum!

Macaron rating for this location: 8.5

L.A. Burdick (Flat Iron District)

This next place was a nice pit stop and also offered other things besides macarons. Anna had been here when she was in Massachusetts I believe, so she was already familiar with the choices and tastes. The service was great and everyone was glad to sit down after standing in the previous location. There was complimentary water and I even got to indulge in my lamb gyro.

I was not too impressed by this place’s macarons though. The macarons were tiny compared to the other locations and didn’t seem worth the dollar I paid. The tastes were a bit heavy, the cookie/bun part was kind of hard, and the flavors limited here also. I’m not a huge fan of ginger so I was kind of put off by the overwhelming taste of it in my macaron. Of all I’d say this was my least favorite. But I’d come back to try some of their other offerings. Their cake in particular looked tasty and moist.

Raspberry, Ginger, and Chocolate macarons. Tiny things aren't they?

Raspberry, Ginger, and Chocolate macarons. Tiny things aren't they?

Macaron rating for this location: 5

Dessert Club Chikalicious (East Village)

By this point we lost two people due to sugar-induced fatigue and travel for a conference. But the rest of us were still up and running!

My buddy with Ramen&Friends blogged about Dessert Club Chikalicious and earlier that week I was there to try their brioche bread pudding, which was good. During that visit I happened to see they had macarons and informed Anna pre-crawl. So I was very happy she added it to the list!

At this point the heat may have been getting to us from walking in the sun and add on the fact that we’d been eating lots of sugar you can imagine how sluggish we were getting to this location. Dessert Club is also a pretty small spot, but had enough space for our group and a couple other patrons. I have to say it seems ’service with a smile’ is lacking there so their food tends to make up for it.

Don't they look purty? Reminds me of Picasso with all those swatches...

Don't they look purty? Reminds me of Picasso with all those swatches...

The painted colors on these macarons were vibrant on the white backgrounds and the tastes strong yet not too strong–a good balance I’d say. My salted caramel macaron was soft and chewy and sweet with a tinge of saltiness. I really enjoyed it. Some others had the blueberry macaron and some the lemon. One member had the red velvet cupcake, which she said was very good. The prices and size for the macaron were reasonable and while they only offered a handful of options they were slightly different from other places which made the macarons interesting.

Anna then declared that we were hitting one last place. We lost about two more people in our group to go get protein and good carbs at this point and it was just six of us that were off to…

Macaron rating for this location: 7.5

Takahachi Bakery (Tribeca)

As a native New Yorker and someone who’s learning to drive I realize my observational skills can use some tweaking. I admit I have tunnel vision when I walk. I look towards where I’m going and just happen to notice other places. Yet again, we arrived at a place I have passed a few times and never once noticed that there was a big Japanese bakery on the corner! Though Takahachi is relatively new so it may not have opened when I passed by.

This was yet another place Ramen&Friends reviewed and I mentioned it to Anna as she said she was interested in going there.

At this point everyone else dropped off on the macaron aspect of the crawl and ate savory goods. I was the lone person to purchase macarons and stayed with my safety, passion fruit. I also got a matcha one for Anna since it only seemed right the one who spearheaded the whole thing should try something from each and every location.

They even had a rosemary macaron...rosemary!

They even had a rosemary macaron...rosemary!

As people detoxed from the sugar we noticed how clean and futuristic the place looks. It was big enough for a group of a dozen or more and even seemed to be a nice spot for moms to bring their kids. They drew pictures of the food offerings on a big chalkboard in the back and patrons can see the chef making macarons or other food items on a TV. Helps you to know who’s making what and how.

I liked the passion fruit macaron here and it was a decent size. I’d say it almost matched Bouchon’s in size and was much cheaper. It was a light passion fruit taste which I liked and wasn’t overly sweet. Takahachi also had a lot of baked goods and their cookies looked moist and chewy. I vowed I’d come back, especially since I work a few blocks north of it and go to the library on the same block on occasion.

Macaron rating for this location: 7.25

After that we all headed off to either nap or full on sleep in the comforts of our bed. I had high hopes of exercising that never came to fruition. Luckily, the day wasn’t humid but sunny and pleasant and we were all in good spirits though probably a tad bit dazed. It was a great crawl and major thanks and props to Anna for organizing it! I look forward to next year’s and hope to see more crawls for varied foods in the very near future.

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Book Expo 2010: Still in the Big Apple, but on a smaller scale.

May 31st, 2010

This was probably my fifth or sixth time at Book Expo of America (BEA) at the Jacob Javits Center. I first heard about Book Expo when I was in college and got the opportunity to volunteer in the autograph area where I met many authors of various genres. It was my first time being exposed to the largest book convention in North America, and I liked it. I volunteered through my Alma matter a couple more times in the autograph area as long as BEA was being hosted in New York City. (It used to change its location every year rotating between New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago.) As of 2009 it was announced that Book Expo would remain in NYC until 2012, which made me extremely happy that one of the largest conventions would continue to be in my backyard, so to speak.

As of late I’ve been part of the press attending Book Expo and am glad not to volunteer. While I enjoyed the busy-ness of BEA and being part of the staff and having access to areas many others didn’t, I also realized that not working allowed me more time to browse and see what the conference was actually about.

Book Expo has always been about introducing new authors & titles to a wide audience as well as garnering additional press for established/best-selling authors. Sometimes illustrators are also present. Librarians come to Book Expo to learn of the new titles they may want as do booksellers. Educators enjoy Book Expo for the opportunity to find new literature to stimulate students and themselves. Book lovers come to BEA because, well, BOOKS! And the exhibitors of big and small/international and domestic publishers,  typesetters, digital publishers, literary agents, Newspapers, and new writers come for contacts and to bring notice to what it is they do.  Book Expo has always been a great place for those with a strong love of books and realize how much they can inspire and entertain.

This year, Book Expo wasn’t as I remembered it. And it made sense that in economic hardship one would notice how much the publishing industry was affected as well as the convention itself. Last year, Book Expo was the way I always experienced it, bustling; filling two floors with most publishers around and hawking as many galleys, ARCs (advance readers’ copies), published titles (successful and new); food samples for cookbooks; samplers as intros to their books; beer & popcorn (just cause); and so on and so forth. Yes, we were in a recession, but apparently people hadn’t been hit hard, yet.

This year BEA was condensed to one floor; there were less giveaways of books, galleys, and so forth and the giveaways that were available were timed early on. Many co-workers I saw in late morning or early afternoon expressed disappointment at the slim pickins. I informed them that had they been at Jacob Javits at 9:01 am they might have gotten some choice stuff.  The autograph area and in-booth signings have always been a key source of getting some nice titles, but many people aren’t keen on spending most of BEA standing in line. The press room last year was bountiful with food (muffins & bagels in the morning, cookies & brownies in the afternoon) all the while having coffee and tea readily available. This year the press room had limited offerings. Only a pitcher of coffee and tea respectively that did not get refilled and also a plate of brownies and cookies and a large serving of lemonade in the afternoon, these “amenities” also did not get refilled once supply dwindled to nothing. In exchange for less treats the press did get internet access and computers to use to constantly update their news wires, but I did miss the snacks to nosh on in the midst of running around from booth to booth, talk to talk, or meeting to meeting.

Some big name publishers, like Scholastic Inc., didn’t have booths just meeting rooms and were not giving away galleys or ARCs to the public from a booth and had limited author signings in the autograph area. Last year Macmillan went that route, but this year had a small booth and did a limited number of signings. Many publishers had smaller booths which accounted for the available space on one floor.

The autograph area of about 30 signing tables or so was brought upstairs to the main hall, as was the Children’s publishing pavilion (section dedicated to children’s publishers solely). Because of the newly condensed conference this made for some heavy traffic throughout. Add on the limited amount of giveaways and people churning for anything they could get their hands on (title, subject matter be damned), in addition to long lines for in-booth or autograph area signings and you had yourself on heck of a traffic jam! The space between the autograph area and booths was smaller, causing the booths closest to the autograph area to be blocked off for their own signings or advertisements and patrons to just be all-around confused as they tried to find their author of choice. For some big ticket items like Melissa Marr, Kate DiCamillo, Sarah Dutchess of York, Mo Willems, Louis Gosset Jr., and so on and so forth lines started early and so you had a growing line behind a line extending to the exhibitor area and blocking who knows how many tables.  I’ve had the pleasure of working in the autograph area and with Dave Holton who manages this section and it can get pretty hectic when people want to make sure they see James Patterson or Carol Higgins Clark or Teresa Giudice from The Real Housewives of New Jersey or just want a really nice cookbook. Some people get snippy, others full-on irate, some give up and just ask if you can give them a copy of the books sans signature, others may see a friend and skip the line thinking no one the wiser. And you have to be the one to try and keep the peace and maintain order. Not always easy on a summer day in a packed conference hall.

One of the big themes at BEA this year was Going Digital! There were many talks about the future of e-book publishing, how publishers can try and garner more interest in e-books, and authors being more open to the possibility. Some authors, mainly Scott Turow (author of Presumed Innocent and the recently published sequel Innocent) was vocal about worrying about the copyright and safety of the author’s work when it came to e-publishing. How safe are e-books anyway? This is kind of the same position musicians first took when their music was available online. How can one monitor where your music is going and if you’ll get compensated for it? The truth is no one has a good answer for that one. So it seems this debate may go on and on and on. After reading a review of this talk from Publisher’s Weekly daily review of Book Expo it was interesting to learn that publishers wouldn’t necessarily make all books they published available in e-book form, mainly high profile authors (aka guaranteed bestsellers) and mid-tier books they have high hopes on. Indie publishers can’t even think of going digital right now what with their book lists being small in general as well as their budgets. So knowing that some obscure authors or new authors may not even get a chance at having their books available online kind of hammers home the point of how important print books are as well as libraries and heavy promotion by the author.

The daily review from Publisher’s Weekly also noted that international companies were not too fond of the shorter week. Before, the conference was Thursday-Sunday. With Thursday being a day of press events and the keynote address officially marking the beginning of the conference, as well as set-up for exhibitors. The conference would officially be open to all Friday-Sunday for meetings, exhibitions, giveaways, and formal talks to the public about the theme as well as more pavillions dedicated to various genres. Last year had an African-American pavillion which also offered around-the-clock meetings and one awards ceremony in celebration of this specialized genre of literature.  Whereas this year there was no advertised celebration of African-American literature or Spanish literature per se beyond a talk or two on the meeting floor. This year Tuesday was the day for press events, leaving Wednesday and Thursday for meetings and the official opening of the exhibitor floor. International publishers/companies were upset that they lost a day for meetings as not everyone was allowed on the exhibitor floor on Tuesday. Many wanted a refund for the day lost. Some booksellers weren’t keen on the new format because Monday-Wednesday tend to be big days for signings in their stores and attending Book Expo took away from their availability as well as authors and, potentially, attendees who may be at BEA and not want to visit bookstores after a full day of books, books, and more books (in addition to achy joints from standing in line for all those tomes.)

While I was disappointed this large conference was on a slightly smaller scale and in the middle of the week rather than on a weekend, I did enjoy my time there. I didn’t mind standing in line for books I was really interested in and in the mean time met a lot of nice authors and  patrons. I was big on story collections this year and every author I met was interested in starting a conversation and was glad to hear how excited you were about their book. Some authors like Kathryn Stockett, whose book The Help became a NY Times best seller, basically signed and smiled to keep the long line moving. While waiting in line for her book we did get a nice caramel cake straight from Mississippi where the novel takes place. I got to tell Scott Turow how much my mother loved Presumed Innocent. I got to let the authors of Going Rouge know how intrigued I was by their book after reading about it in Entertainment Weekly and learning that one was on “The Insider” and how much we found the show to be a bit disconcerting. I got to learn more about the background of  Tony O’Neill author Sick City and a genuinely nice guy. In the midst of waiting for autographs I got to meet a woman from the Midwest who loves The Hunger Games series as much as I do and a bookseller from New Jersey who kept referring good books to me by saying: Holy shit that was a good book! I met a teacher who was basically asking every publisher if they needed a lawyer for her daughter a new graduate from law school while collecting as many collectibles as she could. And I met author Lutishia Lovely, who also had a penchant for cookbooks as she and I met in line after line for certain titles.

Next year Book Expo will retain the current format of a shorter conference, mid-week from May 24-26, 2011 in NYC. While I see the ups-and-downs I cannot foresee ever not enjoying a conference that celebrates books so intensely. Each year I feel an immense sense of luck at being exposed to so much in a few days.

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Writing groups & workshops can be really helpful…if you find the right one.

April 22nd, 2010

Writing groups, workshops, or getting insight from people you trust are all necessary in the artistic process of writing. No matter the genre or the scope it’s important to have a critical eye look at you first draft (or drafts) and help you flesh out your novel, story, poem, personal essay, etc.

Definition
A writing group may be just that: a group that writes together. Or it may be a group that writes together and critiques one another’s work within a session. The basis of a workshop is that the entire session is dedicated to appraising each other’s work. It’s important to differentiate the two in your mind and decide what you may want in terms of help with finished pieces or just a push to write on a consistent basis.

Atmosphere
Writing groups and workshops are overly available and not, which is a Catch-22 of sorts. Mind you there are many groups/workshops out there full of “writers” but not necessarily writers with a critical eye. From high school on I’ve been in workshops and among people that vary from being overly analytical of your work (If you’ve never done that how can you write about it?) to not giving a damn because they aren’t serious (This class was supposed to be an easy A.) or just want to get as much feedback as they can for themselves (Enough about me, what do you think of me?). When you hit the jackpot and find not just one, but several people in a group who are outgoing and help you tackle the problem(s) in your manuscript it can be the best thing ever. When you experience those who just don’t know what it is they do and don’t like about your work, people who go on to focus on simple things like the overuse of one word, or simply say “I liked it” can make you downtrodden.

I’ve experienced good and bad writing groups/workshops in and outside of the academic environment. Students in my undergraduate and graduate courses were not “in the know” in regards to proper workshop etiquette and would either blatantly bash your work or roll their eyes at the thought of it or remain mute throughout the semester. In a smaller writing group outside of class things may be better or worse. Perhaps you have a thick skin and want to hear every last issue with your piece or maybe you want people to handle you (and your work) with kitten gloves therefore you need to hear the good along with the bad, preferably in that order. In the real world, with no instructor acting as mediary and Yoda there’s even more of a chance that people won’t stick to their guns about attending group regularly or providing feedback as there’s no threat of a bad grade on one’s transcript.

Etiquette
For those of you who may not be familiar with the workshop environment here are some tips:

1)    Sharing means caring - Everyone has a story to tell, so try to be polite and professional when attempting to critique another writer’s work. Sharing one’s work isn’t an easy thing to do and to be bashed by people you may or may not know can hurt the ego. So be kind and try to acknowledge the good and bad of a piece to show you care about the work itself and seeing it progress.
Example: “I enjoyed the visuals in this piece and how much you made me feel in the moment as a reader in the first few pages. I completely saw the environment I was in in 1920s Mississippi. I did think there was a bit too much description at times and would suggest cutting certain parts. For instance…”
2)    Don’t be afraid to speak up if something doesn’t make sense – Some may gloss over the points they don’t understand and just focus on what made sense to them in a piece. This can hurt the author because they can’t see what you as a, hopefully, objective reader can. After rewrites and plotting the author is so connected to the piece they may not see glaring holes that you do. So if there’s anything that didn’t strike you as clear make sure to mention it and not worry if you may be the only one that missed something.
Example: “I’m not too familiar with The War of 1812 so there were aspects of the war scenes I couldn’t get into fully. Maybe you could be a bit more descriptive of the lay of the land and the machinery used then or add footnotes to certain things for those who may know to skip and those who don’t to take a look at?”
3)    Multiple reads are a good thing – When writing a formal report sometimes you re-read portions of the work your focusing on to get a clearer sense of what you’d like to say about it. The same goes in a writing group/workshop. What you may have missed the first time around you may suddenly see in the second or third read. Or you may notice elements of the story that don’t work upon an additional read. I’d suggest reading a piece at least twice before providing feedback to the author, more if time and length of piece allow.
4)    Keep an open mind – Many of us have our favorite genres. Some love science fiction and fantasy while others abhor it. Some love chic lit, others prefer literary fiction, some literary non-fiction, some historical books. We all have something we prefer over something else. Yet in a writing group (unless it’s focused towards speculative fiction, sci-fi/fantasy, YA, erotica, etc.) we have to be open to all sorts of genres. Just because you may not read YA doesn’t mean you won’t be able to provide suitable feedback to a member in your group. If character development is off or the setting isn’t clear than these are things that can be helpful whether you’re a fan of the genre or not.                               Example: “I don’t normally read speculative fiction, but I was really into this. The narrator is funny and brought me right into the plot with his acerbic wit. Some of the more technical aspects of what makes speculative, speculative and not solely sci-fi I may be not know, but as a story I am entertained and would continue reading after the first few pages because I like the characters and setting.”
Of course, there may be times when you really cannot get into the work because you’re just not too into the genre for specific reasons (language seems too artistic and not focused, reminds you too much of Virginia Woolf and you just can’t stand her) this is also a good time to mention you’re not the reader for this person’s particular work and can note the reasons why. Either way you’re helping to provide the author with some feedback as to who their audience should be, in which case this also helps them to know to narrow things down when submitting pieces to magazines or agents.
Example: “I’m sorry. I tried reading it and it just made me uncomfortable because of the heavy religious undertone throughout. I thought it was well written and held the main argument in the piece. But also felt it was kind of biased, so I’m afraid I couldn’t give it a fair read as you may have wanted. I just don’t think I’m the reader you may be reaching out to in this piece.”

The Good and the Bad
There are writing groups that are open call and some that tend to interview participants before allowing them to enter the arena. In the case of the latter it may be a payoff because you know that the interview process is routine and that others have been through the same thing. Knowing a group takes applicants and their work seriously can only be a plus. I would warn one to be weary of groups where no meeting is necessary and one just throws their work into the fire. It’d be best to meet with members first, see how they treat one another and critique, then make a firm decision.

Something else to be weary of is writing groups with friends. Like everything in life there can be a good and bad side to this. I became friends with writers I met at an international writing conference. When we returned to our respective homes I got in touch with those in my area and we decided to meet monthly and discuss each other’s work. Since it was established that we were serious enough to pay through the nose to go overseas for a writing conference it turned out to be a positive meeting of the minds locally. On the flip side, I’ve attempted writing groups with friends of mine I knew wrote and these get-togethers were more happy hour hangout sessions than writing/critique sessions. Plus, friends may flake out more than those you don’t know because they expect you to understand. Hell, you saw your friend just last week at karaoke, you know what the deal is! This can make things murky so that the excitement in the beginning drops off slowly and steadily once other things get in the way. In these cases if you have friends who are serious pin them down, now. If it’s easier to just do some e-communication with them to get feedback on your work and vice versa this may be the route to go.

Move Forward
Just because you may not have anyone with a critical eye to readily look at your finished draft(s) doesn’t mean you should pump the brakes on your writing completely. Continue to progress and proceed with other work. Heck, it wouldn’t hurt to give a piece a rest for a bit if you’ve been living with it for months or years before taking another crack at it. Let the manuscript marinate!

But in the mean time, be on the look out for writing groups/workshops in your area and see what they’re about. You might even consider going for a graduate or post-graduate degree to focus more on your writing and meet published authors that can give sound advice. Just. Don’t. Stop. Writing.

Here’s a list of places you may be able to give and get feedback on your writing:
$ denotes fee

Online Writing Groups/Communities
Critique Circle
EditRed.com
FanStory.com
Goodreads Book Excerpts group
Gotham Writers Workshop – Offers some free and fee-based courses online or in-person.  ($)
Mediabistro – Offers online and in-person classes/workshops. ($)
Mike’s Writing Workshop
Online Writing Workshop
The MuseItUpClub Critique Group
Scribophile.com ($)
Writer’s Digest University (formerly Writing Workshops Online) ($)
The Writers Studio

Workshops/Writing Groups
Asian American Writers Workshop
Craigslist – Every so often someone may post searching for writers to join a group in the Writing section.
East Harlem Writers’ Circle (NYC) – Become a fan on Facebook!
Freebird Writing Workshops (NYC) ($)
Gotham Writers Workshop (NYC) – Offers some free and fee-based courses online or in-person.  ($)
List of Latin focused writing groups
Mediabistro – Offers online and in-person classes/workshops. ($)
Meetup.com – May list some writing groups/workshops seeking new members to meet regularly in various locations throughout the US.
Morningside Writers Group (NYC) – Offers workshops in fiction, memoir, speculative fiction, and screenplays. ($)
92nd Street Y (NYC) Unterberg Poetry Center Writing Program for poetry and fiction workshops. ($)
NYC Latinas Writers Group – Become a fan on Facebook or a friend on Myspace!
NYC Writing Coach – Editor provides one-on-one help and workshops. ($)
New York Writers Coalition
New York Writers Workshop ($)
The Sackett Street Writers’ Workshop (NYC) ($)
The Writer Magazine list of Writing groups (USA)
The Writers Studio

Also try:

Local colleges/universities – Beyond workshop classes for degree students colleges/universities may also offer workshops for continuing education students. Alumni may be searching for people interested in starting a group on or off campus. (Here are a few places offering free writing courses online.)

Various writing conferences, residencies, and week-long (or longer/shorter) workshops go on across the country (and world) throughout the year. Poets & Writers has a list of residencies and conferences or you can try ShawGuides or Google ones by genre/location. You can apply for financial aid for many that are connected with colleges/universities or apply for grants you may already have from school or fellowships.

OR you can form your own group/workshop by placing an ad or conferring with friends (serious writers need apply!).

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Vote Ramen & Friends for Best Food Blog 2010!

April 1st, 2010

My site was nominated for Best Food Blog!

Ramen & Friends

My friend and fellow foodie has had her wonderful food blog ramenandfriends nominated for the 2010 Bloggers Choice Awards in the Best Food Blog category! Peruse the site, check out some of the hot-spots mentioned, and perhaps even be so inclined to vote R&F. I know I’ve been enlightened by the many eateries regularly explored by R&F!

Also, feel free to nominate and vote for friends blogs and those posted in the various categories on Bloggers Choice!

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How to have a successful cookie (and bar) competition!

March 3rd, 2010

Happy New Year Reader(s)! Now that we’ve been through the worst of the snowfall this winter let’s look on to happier times.

Late last year I got to thinking… what with the worsening recession and the rise of unemployment I was wondering how, in times of financial constraints, one can have a fun and successful party where no one will think about the dire straits of our country? Something that has united me and those around me has always been the effect of good food, particularly yummy baked goods. So, it only made sense to have a cookie (and bar) competition to celebrate my birthday, the beginning of a new year, hopefully the end of the recession, and above all sugar-infused treats!

I have to tip my hat to Jason Lam, the man behind MeSoHungry, who hosts an annual cookie competition before the Christmas holiday. And hearing how successful his parties had been I thought “Hot damn it’s solidified!” I’d have a cookie (and bar) competition and hope my friends would be kind enough to participate. The bars came into play when a friend of mine mentioned a preference for making them. Plus, I didn’t want to be prejudice against bars because they’re so damn delicious.

Once the plan was set I got to thinking how this could all work out…

Step 1) The Contestants! Luckily I have many baking inclined friends or those who are just into trying new things. Some are into cooking/baking to wow the masses, like my husband, while others were happy to do me a solid and get some accolades in the process.  If you’re throwing a competition and don’t have enough entries then there may be trouble afoot and you may have  lie and say Paula Deen is going to be there and give out heaping amounts of deep-fried goods to all who attend. I won’t say I didn’t politely urge some people into baking, especially if I knew they could bring it and bring it hard.  There were about a dozen or so contestants resulting in a might fine spread. And all were more than happy to partake.

Why let the cookies have all the fun in the competition?

The Bar Side. Why let the cookies have all the fun in the competition?

Step 2) Location, Location: I’ve had my birthday party at Stone Creek Bar & Lounge for the past few years because the service is phenomenal and the back room is spacey. I reserve ahead of time and usually get the room on the date I request. With no time constraints, a private room and bar the party can go all night long! You should look into where you can have said competition ahead of time and hope it can hold all the aspiring bakers and empty bellies. Also try to negotiate pricing or learn of fees beforehand.

And do I spy some brownies in the back?

Cookies! And, do I spy some brownies in the back?

Step 3) Advertise! I made sure to contact people ahead of time and let them know this was a “COOKIE PARTY.” Of course this doesn’t stop people from looking at you with raised eyebrows wondering how they’ll get “real food.” I couldn’t help but stare at some people as I emphasized the words “Baking party!” as they headed out to try and find protein and vegetables or whatever leaving perfectly good sugary goods behind.

If you’re really nice have some finger foods available for consumption before everyone digs into the sugary pile. (I’d also recommend asking or strongly urging people who don’t enter the competition to make donations to help pay for healthy spreads like crudite, chicken fingers, or cheese and crackers for people to nosh on before the competition begins or even to help cover costs for the room/space if there’s a set fee.)

One of the winners and a low-cal brownie treat!

One of the winners and a low-cal brownie treat!

Step 4) Prizes! What good is a competition if you just get glory “in name”? Yes, we compete for the accolades but dang it if I weren’t also in it for prizes. The Olympians of yester-year used to get a simple olive branch wreath. Now they get medals that they can show off and pimp themselves regularly for endorsements of various foods and athletic apparel. Prizes are the way to go so try to find some that will make your guests happy or at least smile. In my case I offered different tiers of movie passes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place, which really made people excited about entering. Even those that didn’t rank for the top prizes got a cute lil’ button proclaiming their badassness in the kitchen. Or as my friend BLee says “official cookie aficionado, JBH approved.” Heck yeah!

Gimme some sugar, lemon sugar cookies that is. Te he.

Gimme some sugar, lemon sugar cookies that is. Te he.

Step 5) Democracy! This is America dammit (the U. S. of A.) and as such the competition was a democracy. Just because it was my birthday party doesn’t mean I was fit to judge. My husband entered for crying out loud how am I expected to be impartial? So I made ballots AND labels so people could be voted on appropriately. We wouldn’t want any Indecision 2000 stuff going on at a cookie party as things could get dangerous with a few dozen people on a sugar high.

And those are my steps to having an awesome and democratic cookie/bar competition. Follow said steps, allow the masses to enjoy the spread, stand back and watch the good times roll, then repeat as necessary.

As you can see from the pictures the entries were vast and awfully tasty. There were vegan options and none, many bar entries, and things I’d never think would taste good in a cookie like cardamom. Who knew?

The winners of my inaugural 2010 competition were as follows and you can get the recipes for these tasty treats online by clicking on their respective links:

1st place: Key Lime Coconut Bars made by the lovely mistress behind Dessert Landscape!

2nd place: Orange Citrus Bars made by my hubby!

3rd place: Vegan Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies made by my co-worker KP!

Other entries included Amaretto Bars, Good ole Chocolate Chip Cookies, Vegan Peanut Butter Oatmeal “amazingness” Cookies, Vegan Cardamom Pistachio Cookies, Lemon Bars, Sugar Lemon Cookies, Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies, Banana Tart, Cookie Concoction (a colored sugar cookie with a spice-laden surprise), and so on and so forth.  Some were family recipes others were open to the public but all and I mean all were good.

Sorta reminds you of The Last Supper, no?

Sorta reminds you of The Last Supper, no?

Thanks again to everyone who participated and came out for a successful birthday celebration and competition! See you next year!

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Wrap up! My year in baking…(Pt. 2)

December 31st, 2009

And here are my remaining baking efforts for the year. The second half of the year brought a lot of use of my oven. Thankfully, it can take it.

August:

The Dish: If it isn’t already evident that I’m a lemon nut then here’s more proof. My baked good for August was: Lemon Poppyseed Cake. Hell, I had left over lemons and, as mentioned, a whole lot of poppyseeds. Why not make bread?

Tarter than your average "cake"

Tarter than your average "cake"

End result: Also from Sweet Melissa’s Cookbook, but I was not a fan of this one. Too tart and not sugary enough for me. Plus, I believe I left one loaf in a bit longer than necessary so it was a bit too crisp on the bottom. But, I brought it to work and people enjoyed it. I was told that the fact it was more lemony than sugary made it taste more like a traditional bread rather than cake. Go fig.

September:

The Dish: The previous month I had gone to Vermont for a Writer’s Conference. My roomie at the conference went to a Maple shop and I implored her to get me maple sugar if she could find it. She did! (Thanks, Iris!) And so I made it a point to find something to use this decadent sugar for. And so I found a simple recipe, because I like simple, for Mapledoodles.

Not my favorite recipe of the year, so I'll keep on the look out...

Not my favorite recipe of the year, so I'll keep on the look out...

End result: For me, I think these cookies tasted better cool rather than warm. I got a metallic like taste from either the maple extract or the maple sugar. And lastly, too much maple! This recipe called for maple extract and maple sugar in the cookie along with maple sugar outside of the cookie and an (optional) maple glaze! I had to hold off from doing maple outside of the cookie because the taste was too darn strong! Decent enough cookies, but I’ve seen alternate mapledoodle recipes I’ll try.

The Dish: In addition to the, somewhat disappointing, mapledoodles I made a classic fave: pumpkin chocolate chip cookies! My same friend who is a gifted baker introduced me to pumpkin chocolate chip bars, which are amazing! This is a take on that.

A personal fave!

A personal fave!

End result: These have a cakey texture rather than your normal cookie texture. And to eat these warm is amazing! The moist cakey-ness along with melty chocolate chips makes these to die for. It’s filled with the same spices you’d use to make pumpkin pie as well as pumpkin filling and is amazing!

You’ll fall in love with these and the recipe I use makes five dozen or more which is never enough! People in the office loved them and I found the adult mentors liked them too. Kids and teenagers may be a bit sketched out by pumpkin cookies, but once they try them they’ll be reformed. I’m drooling just thinking about them.

October:

The Dish: Of course one would think that I’d save the pumpkin treats for October, but in all honest they’re good any time! But this month I actually delved into a treat I’ve eaten a lot, but never had the cajones to make: pound cake!

Turns out it’s super-easy!

Basically butter cake, but an old time fave...

Basically butter cake, but an old time fave...

End result: Main difference is that it is made with light brown sugar rather than regular granulated as per the recipe on the back of the Domino’s sugar box. So it looks a bit darker as well. Tasted really good and familiar, almost like my grandma’s!

Made it for my drinking group (hey ladies!) and they enjoyed it. Moistness keeps if sealed well for a couple of days, but definitely tastes best right out of the oven and with some accoutrements such as cream or berries.

The Dish: I also did a pumpkin recipe for Halloween! Last year I had an awful pumpkin bar recipe. The bars were incredibly dense and not sweet at all. Not happy. So I went with a Paula Deen recipe this year because, quite frankly, you can trust her butter-filled delicacies. And I wasn’t disappointed!

Just between you and me, this is pumpkin cake...

Just between you and me, this is pumpkin cake...

End result: I just couldn’t be bothered with icing and didn’t want to deter from the pumpkin taste, so there you go. I have to say that this was more of a cake then a bar. It was mighty fluffy and could’ve used icing. It tasted fabulous and I’ll make again instead calling it Ms. Deen’s pumpkin cake!

November:

The Dish: And as the year comes full circle so does this month’s dessert which was, well, lemon of course! This time lemon cupcakes with lemony cream on top. I made it for my department’s first ever Dessert Hour before Thanksgiving and these cupcakes were a hit! If you’re not a big dessert person lemon is excellent because it’s not too strong and complements the sweet just right.

The lemony cream is the best part!

The lemony cream is the best part!

End result: These cupcakes are somewhat of a semi-homemade approach and you just do your own thing after using the cake mix. Lemon curd is the secret ingredient for these minicakes and it’s really good. I have to say my main delight was in the lemony cream (heavy whipping cream, lemon curd, and confectioner’s sugar that you beat the hell out of). I’ve made it again since I had left over ingredients and it was well received with some brown sugar bundt cake on Christmas. Also, used the lemony cream on a pumpkin tart with friends for Thanksgiving and everyone loved it! So it just goes to show that again…lemon shows its versatility!

The Dish: And lastly for the year of the pumpkin (and lemon) was pumpkin chocolate chip muffins from the same book I got the lemon cupcake recipe Cupcakes from the Cake (mix) Doctor by Anne Byrn It was hard for my husband to find a chocolate chip muffin mix, but when he did I went buck wild with left over pumpkin filling and enjoyed the results merrily.

Notice a trend?

Notice a trend?

End result: Pumpkin and chocolate is basically the best combination…ever. Just don’t argue with me on this one. These muffins kept, when well sealed, and I brought some in for co-workers who are also pumpkin fanatics. Needless to say they loved them also.

December:

Well, another marathon baking month for moi this month.

The Dishes:

First up, Almond toffee crunch cookies from Cookies to Die for. Another hunt for me, but I found toffee bits! You put almond extract, chopped almonds (which I left out so my husband could eat the cookies), toffee bits, and your basic cookie ingredients to make this decadent type cookie.

The toffee's the best part, I think.

The toffee's the best part, I think.

End result: Well, the recipe said you could make five dozen and I stayed up making about eight or nine dozen. Almond extract has quite a particular taste so if you’re a fan of that (or say almond croissants and such) then you’ll enjoy these cookies immensely. They’re soft and slightly crispy. The toffee sticks to your teeth, but that’s the best part about toffee! I’ll probably try these again and use vanilla extract instead of almond and see how much more you can taste the toffee.

Next up, peanut butter cookies (from scratch!) from the Sweet Melissa book. Another super easy recipe, hoorah! I added chocolate chips because I think most things with chocolate are awesome so I just keep adding. I made these for a friend’s holiday cookie party when my original cookie dough went up in smoke or crumbles I should say.

Peanut butter and chocolate? Pure genius!

Peanut butter and chocolate? Pure genius!

End result: The recipe calls these chewy peanut butter cookies, but if you cook them a bit longer they become crunchy, which isn’t a bad thing really. I’ve gotten them in the middle for the past two times I’ve made them. Very enjoyable and I have the ingredients at home so I’ll make these again and again.

And then there were maple chocolate chip cookies! This was the basic chocolate chip cookie recipe (courtesy of Hershey’s) and instead of brown sugar I added in maple sugar and a smidge of maple extract.

Maple sugar can make all the difference.

Maple sugar can make all the difference.

End result: Again, better the next day. I dunno if it’s the maple extract or sugar but right out of the oven there’s a bit of a metallic taste. However, the next day when cool (and super chewy) these cookies tasted awesome with a hint of maple. Co-workers loved this holiday treat!

And for me that’s it for the year in baking. I look forward to the new year and new recipes and experiments in the kitchen.

Happy Holidays and Happy Baking!

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Wrap up! My year in baking… (Pt. 1)

December 24th, 2009

I enjoy baking and cooking. Baking more so because of the fact that I actually seem to be good at it and things turn out the way they’re supposed to (most of the time). I can’t always say the same for savory or meat dishes in my hands.

Since I started my current job I found I was surrounded by people who enjoyed baking and even more so enjoyed eating what someone else baked. It only seemed fair that I participate in the activities since I enjoyed their offerings. I usually only baked for the holidays (cheap gifts!) and to say “thank you” for donating to a special cause (hundreds raised for AIDS Walk and rewarded by cupcakes!) And so within the past year my baking efforts have quadrupled. I bake new recipes regularly and am happy to offer my services for others including my current mentoring group.

Many of my baking successes have been posted to my Facebook album page, but I wanted to also include them here because, well, I like y’alls.

I present…my baking efforts of 2009!

January:

The Dish: For my cupcake-themed birthday party I made lemon-raspberry cupcakes and my husband contributed red velvet cupcakes with a cinnamon buttercream icing. Both were well regarded at the party. I first made the lemon-raspberry cupcakes for my mom and mother-in-law on Mother’s Day in 2008, I made them again to say “thanks for donating to AIDS Walk in my name” that same year, and then again this year.

This recipe is from Bon Appetit magazine. And thus far my husband and I have not been let down by the recipes we’ve tried in there.

Lemony goodness with a fruity surprise in the middle

Lemony goodness with a fruity surprise in the middle

End result: I’m a lemon lover so this is a great treat. You use lemon zest and fresh lemon juice in the cupcake so that it has a light (not overpowering) lemony taste. In addition you put in a teaspoon scoop of raspberry jelly inside as a nice treat and top it all off with an intensely sugary lemon icing (lemon juice, confectioners sugar; add some jam if you want to make it pink).

Voila…you have lemon goodness! Party-goers enjoyed this treat a lot and many raved about it even against the well loved red velvet.

April:

I will say not much went down during the winter months baking wise.

The Dish: Lemon strikes again! In cookie form this time. Lemon Poppyseed Cookies have become a staple for me this year. The people love ‘em, and I have to give the people what they want. And since I have a crap load of poppyseed’s I might as well make these treats as often as possible.

Lemon strikes again!

Lemon strikes again!

End result: The lemon comes from, again, lemon zest! Which is amazing in every sense of the word. You can’t add too much so don’t be afraid to add more than the recipe dictates.

Did I mention people love these cookies? I most recently made them for my department’s book club and these things were ravaged. A co-worker even said she was introduced to a flavor she didn’t know she liked. That’s right, baking causes miracles!

May:

My oven started getting heavy use when NY AIDS Walk came around and I was basically pimping my baking skills for donations. And dagnabbit it worked! Even during a recession I was able to raise several hundred dollars for the cause. Heck yeah!

Requests were varied and some people just got some of what I made others. But let me tell you it was a baking bonanza for a good couple weeks.

There were brownies, yawn. But then I made cupcakes!

The Dishes:

1) Carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese icing. I skimped on the icing and bought some whipped. After spending almost an hour zesting (not smart on my part) 2 cups of carrots I was tired and it was late on a school night no less.

Good and good for you!

Good and good for you!

End result: Those who donated enjoyed this treat as well. Though, I felt it tasted more like a muffin than a cupcake. Moist and good and all but light on the sugar taste. So perhaps it’s better for you?

2) Coconut cupcakes with cream cheese icing: Since I had left over icing from the carrot cake cupcakes you know where it went. This recipe was interesting because it called for coconut flakes in and on top of the cupcake as well as coconut extract. But, in a war of extracts the vanilla won because I tasted that more than the coconut. And toasting the coconut then sprinkling it on top gave off a nice effect I think.

Delightful coconut and vanilla flavors.

Delightful coconut and vanilla flavors.

End result: My donator who is a coconut lover really enjoyed this cupcake. So I’m pretty sure he’ll be donating again next year.

June:

The Dish: May was also busy in that I went to Book Expo of America and don’t think I didn’t go about trying to get as many cookbooks (books in general) as I could. I did snag Cookies to Die For by Bev Shaffer and found one of the easiest recipes to make and went for it: Maple Butter Cookies. One thing to note is that you have to refrigerate the dough after making so it’s a day affair to make these cookies.

More butter than maple and that ain't bad.

More butter than maple and that ain't bad.

End result: Unfortunately the supermarkets nearest me don’t have the best brands of maple syrup that was called for in this recipe. So I don’t think the maple taste was as heavy as it should be. But the public enjoyed. Personally, I think they’re biased by butter, which I am as well.

The Dish: I also made Blondies for the first time. Not realizing how easy it is to make these things these have now become a staple when visiting people. Need me to bring something? Heck, I’ll make blondies! Anyone probably has the ingredients for these in their home: flour, butter, brown sugar, salt, vanilla extract, and perhaps chocolate chips. There you know the recipe, now go out there and bake!

Tower o' blondies!

End result: I’ve made these three times this year because they’re so easy. If you’re nervous about blondies don’t be. It’s basically a chocolate chip cookie in bar form. Sounds delicious right? My co-workers thought so and so I’ll continue to make them.

July:

My husband and I had visited Sweet Melissa Patisserie in Brooklyn a little while earlier and I tried her pumpkin bread pudding, which I liked. So when I found out she had a book and additionally saw her win a decorating competition on FoodNetwork I knew I had to get her recipes! She had pumpkin recipes for crying out loud!

The Dish: And so, with book in hand, I made Snickerdoodles. A friend first introduced me to this and she is also a phenomenal baker. Hers are quite moist, these are moist but a bit firmer.

Sugar and cinnamon, a perfect pair.

Sugar and cinnamon, a perfect pair.

End result: Pretty easy to make and I’ve had requests for these. I made some for a friend’s birthday party and even though the cookies were still a bit warm in the dense humidity of July the three or four dozen cookies I bought were ravished within the first 30 minutes I set them down. Someone asked if this was a family recipe and I had to give credit where it was due. Thanks, Melissa!

The remainder of the year to be summed up in the next post…

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Year in Review of NYC’s baked good offerings.

December 21st, 2009

In preparation for my year-in-baking wrap-up post(s) here are some of the places in NYC I tried this past year for baked goodies. Some were good, some disappointing, and all were an experience in their own way. I’m pretty sure I gained some cavities along the way, but well earned I say!

Cupcake Stop aka the Cupcake Truck

I tried several cupcakes from the ever mobile dessert truck (not to be confused with The Dessert Truck). Their lemon raspberry wasn’t as good as the one I’ve made. Decent but not lemony enough for my taste. Their red velvet was better than some (Magnolia you really disappoint me!) and they had a chocolate peanut butter cupcake that was good. I don’t know how good stuff keeps from there, but the cupcakes weren’t as super moist as I’d expect the day of.

They also offer mini cupcakes at $1/each, which may be a good buy if you just want to have a little taste.

Milk Bar

Love, love, love Milk bar! Their cookies are amazing! I tried their dulce de leche cake which was heavy as heck and a bit dry. So I’d recommend the cookies. My faves are the compost cookie (with chocolate, marshmallow, corn flakes, and pretzels) and the blueberry creme. So freakin’ good I took an extra long lunch break to buy some for dinner. Dinner!

Tribeca Treats

Better than average cupcakes and their pumpkin is mighty good. They lost some of my good graces because I kept calling ahead for the pumpkin cupcake and getting denied when I showed up at the store (seems they make small batches day-by-day) but overall I’ve had a couple of their cupcakes and given some to friends who have been impressed. Plus, their cupcakes are mighty reasonable in Manhattan at $2/each.

Their brownies are spectucular, but are overpriced at $2/each for the tiny size you get.

Sugar Sweet Sunshine

A former co-worker introduced my friends and I to this spot and it’s become a fave since. The only cupcake I truly enjoy from here is their pumpkin, which they offer year-round! So a big plus in my book. Their claim to fame is their buttercream icing and varied flavors of cupcakes, so I’d highly recommend. Also quite cheap at $1.50/each, so splurge people, splurge!

Butter Lane

My was I highly disappointed after this place. And thankfully I have a rock hard stomach so it doesn’t upset easily. I happened to pass by this place from having lunch with a friend and figured “why not?” I should’ve kept moving.

Butter Lane is known for it’s freshly made, organic buttercream icings and that’s pretty much it. The place has a lovely decor but their cupcakes are disappointing and look/feel kind of hard. Also disappointing is that their cupcakes are named for the icing only. So I picked up a pumpkin cupcake thinking I was getting a pumpkin cupcake, but all I was getting was a golden cupcake with pumpkin icing. And such is the same for ALL their cupcakes. They either have golden or chocolate cupcakes and many types of homemade icing. The icing was good, the cupcake was not and I don’t purchase cupcakes just for the icing so I probably won’t go here again. Also their cupcakes are $3/each a bit hefty considering you’re paying for the icing mainly.

Crumbs

I’ve loved crumbs since I first had it several years ago and that didn’t stop this year either. They have a fluffy moist cake in various sizes (tiny, regular, and ginormous!) They have various flavors year round and I’ve received pretty darn good service from the ones around the city. The regular cupcakes are reasonable at $2.95/each and the massive ones even more reasonable at $3.95/each.

Fay Da Bakery

A nice Asian bakery in Chinatown where you can get Asian desserts or savory treats like pork buns, chicken buns, etc. I particularly liked their rolls. Their vanilla roll and lemon rolls are delicious and reasonable. A big one costs about $11 and an individual one would be a little over $1.

Dessert Truck

How I miss thee! They had amazing goodies like homemade donuts (with jelly), hot chocolate (as thick as pudding and very tasty!), and a chocolate mousse that made me curl my toes in delight! Woowee! Unfortunately something about permits deterred the Dessert Truck from making a resurgence for most of the year, but at least I had that bit and it was lovely!

Crepateria

Since the two locations aren’t located that far from me in Queens it’s nice to know I can get crepes any time I want! Sweet or savory take your pick, but I have to say I love the warm cinnamon apple crepe with ice cream or banana and nutella (staples at most crepe shops). Good and good for you!

Royale Bakery

Tried a chocolate cupcake and sea salt brownie. The brownie was quite good I have to say. The salt did not over power the sugary & chocolatey goodness of the colossal sized brownie I had. The cupcake was okay. A bit dry (which tends to be a consistent problem at bakeries) but the peanut butter icing was very good. Plus, the lady at the counter was very knowledgeable and kind about telling my husband and I about the different choices. I also liked how they put the cupcakes in cups (upside down) so as not to smoosh them in transit. I’d recommend.

Grom

A co-worker enthusiastically told me about Grom and one day while strolling around West 4th Street and 6th Avenue on a summer’s day I just waltzed right in. Grom serves freshly made gelato in various flavors. I had the plan vanilla which was quite good. The small (one scoop) is pricey at $5 but it is good for the money.

Grand Daisy

This Italian staple became a growing chain when another one opened up just a block or two from my building. They have lots of breads, sandwiches, pizzas, and desserts! One of my favorites is the tortino di cioccolata (aka chocolate tart aka big ol’ brownie) delicious. They also have a good sandwich cookie which is two butter cookies with nutella in the middle. They also have tortes (tarts/cakes) and bread pudding! The slices of tarts and cakes is a bit pricey, but individual cookies are pretty good at $3 each considering their size. A slice of their bread pudding would run you $6. I have yet to take the plunge and keep going to Whole Foods for their bread pudding that I can get at $3 or less.

Once upon a tart

I have yet to try the tarts here, but had a couple of their humongous cookies! Pretty good and reasonably priced for such large confections. I’d say their chocolate chip is better than their peanut butter. Though I will be returning to try their pear tart that just looks darling from its place perched high in their window.

Sweet Melissa Patisserie

In the heart of family friendly area of Park Slope (there’s also a location in Carol Gardens, Brooklyn) sits a cute patisserie started by a lovely lady who seems to enjoy pumpkin as much as I do. I tried the pumpkin bread pudding with caramel rum raisin glaze/icing and loved it. It’s not as mushy as your typical bread pudding, more cake like in it’s look and portions. But warm with the glaze it is very satisfying. My husband bought me the Sweet Melissa Baking book after we tried her tasty goods. I can’t wait to go back when we just happen to be in the area.

I look forward to retrying some of these places and trying many new ones.

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